Our Commitment to International and Domestic Returns

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) provides a process under Federal law for implementing the return of Native American human remains and specific cultural items from the United States. To address return of cultural items beyond NAGPRA, Harvard University published guidelines on the Consideration of Claims for the Return of Items in Harvard University Collections (2022). From these guidelines, the Peabody has implemented its approach, which focuses on requests for the repatriation of cultural items from international communities and operates alongside NAGPRA to provide a structure for Indigenous groups in the United States to request the return of cultural items not covered under existing federal law.  

In 2022 Harvard published the Hammonds Report by the Steering Committee on Human Remains in University Museum Collections that includes recommendations for the return and repatriation of ancestral remains to communities around the world.

If you have additional questions, please see Frequently Asked Questions or email our team at pmreturns@fas.harvard.edu.